Free cyber security assessments for small charities

Charities with fewer than 50 employees are being offered the opportunity to take part in free cyber security assessments.

Researchers from De Montfort University in Leicester are offering the free hour-long cyber health check, which will review charities’ existing cyber security policies and provide advice on how they could be improved.

The health check is part of a study to improve cyber security among small businesses and charities, and will require charities to fill in a survey on their approaches, perceptions and attitudes to online risks.

The study is open only to organisations with fewer than 50 employees, and researchers are looking for about 160 participants.

Edward Cartwright, professor of economics at De Montfort University said:

“Small businesses and charities often don’t have the resources or don’t prioritise cyber security so they can be quite vulnerable to being attacked. It’s a question of when rather than if.”

Partners on the project include Coventry University, the University of Kent and Kent Police, and £43,000 of funding has been provided by the Home Office.